


The Royal Heist

by hibiscusmemoirs



Category: A3! (Anime), A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Pining, Reincarnation, TsuzuKazuWeek_2021, thief tsuzuru x royal kazunari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29001504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiscusmemoirs/pseuds/hibiscusmemoirs
Summary: It was only now when it struck the criminal he spoke of to realize this fact: he was apprehended of stealing by someone of royal blood.And, boy, he was absolutely fucked.-a royals/royalty au featuring a thief tsuzuru and a royal kazunari.
Relationships: Minagi Tsuzuru/Miyoshi Kazunari
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25
Collections: TsuzuKazu Week 2021





	The Royal Heist

**Author's Note:**

> Written for days 6 and 7 of TsuzuKazu Week: "Favorite Headcanon/AU" and "Free Day"!

**_“Somebody, stop that thief!”_ **

A loud yelp like that would definitely cause a commotion in the town market. The aforementioned thief in a hooded cloak took off from the fruit stall front, startling the market goers as he ran past all of them, gripping the bag of fruits in his hand tightly. He skillfully avoided all hurdles in his way and swiftly dodged the weapons and objects being thrown at him by the town guards.

The thief looked over his shoulder and laughed at the guards mockingly. “You can’t catch me, boys,” he taunted at them as he kept running for his life. 

He was now out of the market area and was now approaching the town’s exit, to the outskirts of the kingdom. His lips curved into a smirk. “Homestretch, baby.”

Just as he was about to pass through the archway to exit town, a loud voice echoed from behind the thief.

“That’s as far as you’ll go, you thief!”

Suddenly, the thief was immobilized by the legs and feet. He looked downwards and saw that almost half of his body was frozen solid. He tried twisting and turning in an attempt to break free, until he realized that it was nothing but futile in the end. “Damnit…” The thief cursed under his breath and hung his head, dropping the stolen bag of fruits from his hand.

The apprehender approached the thief and handcuffed him with regular cuffs before thawing the ice below him and gripping his arm. “Time to get’cha to custody~” He said giddily, a grin plastered on his face. He reached down on the ground and grabbed the bag of fruits that fell. “Man, this is the third case of theft this month.” The apprehender glanced at the thief beside him. “Well, fourth now, methinks~”

The thief glanced up at his apprehender as they walked silently to wherever he was being taken, observing him from under the hood. The person had bleached blonde hair and lime green eyes to compliment it. The clothes he wore were creamish white long sleeves with light brown cuffs, matched with pants of the same cream tone and gold patterns on the sides. 

In conclusion, he was apprehended by someone of high status, and what he feared he would get as a punishment could possibly end up with his head removed from his body.

The hooded thief gulped in nervousness before facing forward once again now that they were currently in the castle grounds, approaching the castle in front of them.  _ Oh god, oh fuck, _ he thought to himself as the two entered the main castle doors. 

Two castle guards were standby on either side of the entrance. Both guards bowed down when they were near. “Welcome back, Your Highness,” they both greeted. “We’re glad that you are safe from apprehending the thief.” 

The thief blinked his eyes underneath his hood.  _ “Your Highness” _ ...? 

The apprehender let out a laugh as they entered the castle, giving the bag of fruits to one of them. “Thank you, thank you~ I do hope Sumi and the others aren’t mad just because I suddenly left the castle, ahaha~.”

**_“Your Highness!!”_ **

Another royal guard approached the two who had just entered the main hall. He had lilac hair and tangerine eyes with unique triangular pupils, as well as a golden triangular earring attached to his left ear. The guard appeared to be in distress, however. 

“Your Highness, you can’t just run off the castle and catch a criminal like that!!”

It was only now when it struck the criminal he spoke of to realize this fact: he was apprehended of stealing by someone of royal blood.

And, boy, he was absolutely fucked.

“You know, Sumi, you could just call me Ka—” The royal stopped himself, faking a cough as he remembered that there was a thief within the premises. 

The lilac-haired guard simply shook his head and looked at the thief with a vexed look. “And where are you taking this thief, Your Highness? The dungeons are that way.” He pointed his index finger in the opposite direction. “Surely, you know your way around the castle since you technically live here.”

“Oh, I’m taking him to my quarters~”

The thief nearly choked on his own spit.  _ SAY FUCKING WHAT NOW?! _

The guard only let out a sigh of defeat, knowing he can’t really disobey a royal’s orders. “Whatever you wish, Your Highness. Excuse me.” He bowed before the royal before walking off somewhere in the castle grounds.

The walk to the royal’s quarters was quite long yet very silent. The thief continued to grow nervous the closer they got to wherever the quarters may be. It was like that until the royal beside him decided to break the tension in the air.

“If you think you’re still gonna be executed just because I didn’t take you to the dungeons, then let me tell you this: you’re not.”

“...Huh?”

The thief looked up at the royal, only to get whipped in the face with wind. It ended up removing the hood of his cloak, revealing his light brown hair with a tuft of a darker shade at the top. “Wha—?! Hey!”

“You know I could tell that it’s what you worried about the most, given that I went out my way to capture you and all~ Nyahaha!” The blonde let out a laugh.

The brunette kept his silence.

“Aww, c’mon~ Talk to me, Mister Thief~” He teased with a grin forming on his face. “I spared you from the cold, clammy hands of execution and death, y’know~!”

In the end, he ended up talking to the royal. “What am I even supposed to say when you knew exactly what I was worried about?”

“Hmm~” The other hummed in thought. “Why not start with your name?”

“...Minagi,” he answered monotonously. “Tsuzuru Minagi.”

The two arrived in front a pair of giant, brown, wooden doors. “I’m Kazunari Miyoshi, or Kazu for short!” The other male casually flung both doors open, allowing both of them to enter. “And welcome to my quarters~!”

The royal’s quarters is what you would typically find in castles like this. There would be a canopy bed on one side of the room, and the rest would either be for recreation, wardrobe, and other miscellaneous whatnot. 

When Kazunari closed the door, he turned to face Tsuzuru. “Gimme your hands.” The latter did what he was told and held out his cuffed hands. The blonde hovered a hand over the cuffs and froze them, causing it to shatter into many pieces and fall down the carpet. “There we go~”

“Thank you, Your Highness…” Tsuzuru rubbed his wrists, thankful that he was finally free from the handcuffs. “Was that magic just now?”

“Yup~” He chirped as he sat down on his bed. “It runs in the blood,” he stretched out his hand, “and I’m limited to elemental magic, like fire, ice or water, wind…” he displayed the forms of elemental magic, albeit only within his hand. When he closed his fist, the wind dissipated. “I could also do higher forms of elemental magic, like light or dark, but…” Kazunari grinned sheepishly. “I haven’t really mastered that yet~”

“Considering that they are literally called,  _ higher forms _ of magic, that’s to be expected.” The thief rolled his eyes. “Well, unless you’re a quick learner, I guess.”

The royal simply chuckled at that. “So, what about you? What made you start stealing from the townsfolk?” His lips curved into a small, unnoticeable smirk. “Depending on your answer, I may or may not let you off the hook unscathed.”

The chair from the desk at the other end of the room levitating in the air, approaching the thief. He warily stared at its movements until it stopped levitating beside him. Tsuzuru looked up at Kazunari, who simply gestured his hand at the chair, telling the former to sit down. He sat down with a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

“To be fair, I only limit myself to stealing food from the market,” the brunette started. “I never stole any other belongings, only food. That’s what my friends and I agreed in the beginning. Well, I think we’re just more than friends and less than just a mere group of thieves,” there was a hint of joy in his tone, accompanied with the small smile forming on his face, “I’d like to think that the five of us are family.”

“Every few days, we would spread out all over the kingdom to steal food and supplies, and we would gather at a rendezvous before sun down. We also have an unspoken rule to not visit the same place again if you have previously stolen from there.”

“So, the previous three theft cases in town, I assume these are three different thieves as well,” Kazunari briefly interrupted the thief, “they are also part of the family you speak of?”

Tsuzuru nodded his head. “Most likely, yes.”

“Mhmm, I see…” The royal took note of this. “I think that would be enough, Tsuzurun~”

“T-Tsuzurun…?” The thief repeated while being suddenly flustered. 

“Let’s make a deal, shall we~?” Kazunari suggested to the other. “You will promise to stop stealing from anyone ever again, provided that you come visit the castle once a week for the food you and your family need!”

“Is this what you meant by letting me off the hook?”

“I would take it back and drag you to the dungeons instead.”

Tsuzuru scratched the back of his head. “But to go as far as helping me provide food and supplies for them… That’s—”

“Unheard of, absurd of me, I know.” Kazunari held out his hand, gesturing to the other to shake it to seal the deal. “Nonetheless, will you take the offer?”

After giving it brief thought, Tsuzuru realized that there wasn’t any harm that could possibly happen, if ever.  _ I’m sure they would understand, _ he said to himself before finally shaking the hand of the royal.

The royal gave the thief a wide grin. “Now that that’s done, shall we go get the food?”

* * *

The sun was beginning to set, painting the once ocean blue sky with vermillion and orange hues. The townspeople were returning to their respective homes for supper, and the lampposts on the cobblestone paths started to light up the way during the night.

It was also already time for Tsuzuru to return back to the hideout. With a bag of food and supplies in his hands, he took another bow before Kazunari as a sign of respect and farewell before exiting town. He maneuvered his way through the forest and to the hideout, where four other people were gathered and were waiting for the brunette to arrive. 

“Sorry I’m late,” he apologized to them, putting the bag somewhere in the hideout. He then sat down with them in the circle as they let themselves be warmed up by the fire in the middle. “I accidentally got myself caught just when I was about to leave town.”

A boy with messy magenta hair, who seemed to be the leader of the group, spoke up, “How were you able to escape then, Tsuzuru-san?” His eyes that matched the color of his hair searched the brunette. “You even managed to come home unscathed  _ and _ with food in hand.”

Tsuzuru let out a laugh, albeit it had a hint of nervousness which he tried to hide. “Let’s just say I managed to escape and still bring food as promised. Trust me on this, Sakuya.”

One of them, who had raven hair with beige bangs, sat beside the magenta haired boy. “Sounds suspicious,” he declared as his eyes stared at the fire. 

“Did you bribe your way out of the dungeons?” A blonde male asked the brunette, taking a bite of the fruit he had in his hand. “But knowing you, I doubt you would even do that.”

A man with long, blondish hair blinked his blue-ish eyes. “Tsuzuru vibed his way out of the dungeons?”

“‘Bribe’, not ‘vibe’...”

Tsuzuru simply rolled his eyes and ignored all their inquisitions and accusations, no matter how random and absurd they sounded. He thought that he should keep his promise to Kazunari a secret until the time is right, even though they are family to them. 

Though, it probably won’t hurt to give them a hint, right?

“The only thing I can say,” he said to the other thieves, “is that the food I brought along tonight is… not what you might think it is.”

“...What do you mean by that?” They collectively asked the brunette, to which they only got shrugging of shoulders as a response.

Sakuya opened the bag that Tsuzuru had brought a while ago, and his eyes lit up in awe. “Isn’t this...!?” He showed the contents of the bag to the raven haired boy beside him. “Masumi-kun, Itaru-san, Citron-san, look!”

_...What the heck did His Highness put in the bag anyway... _ Tsuzuru asked himself as he looked at the four other thieves gathered in one area while eating a fruit as well. 

The boy named Masumi peered inside, and spoke, albeit with little enthusiasm in his tone, “Ah, isn’t this food rich people eat?”

“You’re right...” Itaru mumbled, searching inside the bag. “They’re all cooked and packed individually too. There’s cooked mutton, potatoes, salad...”

Citron chirped amusingly, “Eating cooked button must be nice~” The others tried to correct him, but the long haired man didn’t listen. “Thanks so much, Tsuzuru, for this lucky find!”

* * *

A few days have passed since the thief and the royal’s first encounter. As promised, Tsuzuru would return to the castle whenever it was those days, and as promised, Kazunari would give him the food and supplies the brunette and his group needed.

However, since there was still a lot of time to spare, Kazunari had welcomed Tsuzuru to stay in the quarters until it was time to go home. (To this day, the brunette still doesn’t know why the blonde was being friendly and hospitable. To a thief, even!)

Tsuzuru learned that Kazunari was actually the heir to the throne. However, as much as he is actually prepared to be the future king, he refused to be one.

“Being a king, being to rule over your kingdom, it may sound nice and all, yeah,” the heir told the thief. “But, y’know, being a king is quite the responsibility. I’ll miss my freedom as a prince once I’m crowned king.”

“You’ll have to accept it someday, Your Highness.” Tsuzuru looked at the royal’s direction, turquoise eyes locking with lime green ones. “I bet you would make a great king. The people of this kingdom, the same people who will be  _ your _ people in the future, will support you in every decision.” His lips curved into a smile. “I’ll support you too, even if it’s from behind the scenes.”

The blonde blinked a few times, trying to register what the brunette had just said, before he returned the smile with his own. “Well, maybe, yeah... Thank you~!”

Even though he said that, Kazunari didn’t listen to him and continued rambling, possibly to no one in particular. “What if I just passed on the responsibility of being the ruler to my lil sister? She isn’t a hundred percent ready for possible coronation yet, but I’m pretty sure she could rule the kingdom as a queen...”

Tsuzuru simply let out a sigh.  _ He didn’t even listen... _

More days continued to pass by. At first glance, it would seem that the thief simply kept doing his part of the agreement, and the prince was doing his as well. However, unbeknownst to the royal, Tsuzuru’s reason to frequent the castle on duty days had changed. 

A reason he didn’t expect to have.

A reason that he would deny whenever the thought of it would pop in his head. 

A reason why he hasn’t broken his end of the agreement.

_ God damn it, have I really...? _

Recently, it seemed that Tsuzuru would use duty day as an excuse to see the prince. Not that Kazunari really minded the company even while on royal duty. At least they could use the time they shared to tell each other about their daily happenings on their days of separation. 

There were also times that when those days were uneventful to Tsuzuru, he would end up telling his adventures as a thief when he traveled to other parts of the kingdom. Kazunari liked hearing those stories from him, because even though the royal family would travel to other parts of the kingdom, it would most likely end up for business reasons and not leisure reasons.

“But Your Highness, you were able to go out and apprehend me that day without consent needed,” the brunette brought up. “Can the same be said if you went outside of town, or...?”

“Unfortunately, no.” The blonde shook his head, looking out the window, enjoying the view of the town and its outskirts. “I would need a chaperone if I would go out of town for leisure purposes, and that chaperone would either be Sumi or a different royal guard. Plus, there would be a carriage too...”

“Then, if you were given the opportunity, would you go out to see the world without company nor consent?”

Kazunari faced the thief, with an ethereal smile on his face. “I would want to go out without consent, but I think I would prefer company when I do...”

The last part was made inaudible, yet Tsuzuru managed to hear it. “...preferably if you were there with me, maybe.”

“I would say ‘That’s very weird of you’, but I’m genuinely no longer surprised.” The prince saw the thief’s eyes briefly flicker with seriousness. Even his tone had changed. “Don’t forget, I could still pose danger to you, Your Highness. I may be just a thief, but I still have combat skills.”

“Please, Tsuzurun, I spared your life,” he said matter-of-factly, “and you’re gonna treat me like that?”

The other just shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe, maybe not.”

* * *

Some days later, it was once again duty day for Tsuzuru again. The family of thieves had just spread out from their hideout, and as always, the brunette headed for the castle. He passed through the archway and went through town, yet there were little to no townsfolk outside. 

_ Must be a not-so-busy day… _

He quickly made his way to the castle grounds, where he was expecting the prince to be waiting by the gate. Except when he got there, the gates were locked shut and that there was no sign of Kazunari anywhere. Tsuzuru tried to shake the gate, hoping to draw attention upon himself. “Hello? Anyone there?” 

No response. 

He shook the gates once more, shouting a louder “Hello?”.

All of the sudden, he heard the castle door fly open. However, the person who opened it wasn’t who he expected at all. “Wait a minute,” he uttered when he saw the person approach him, a distressed look on his face, “aren’t youー”

“His Highness’ personal royal guard, yes,” the same lilac-haired guard from the first day finished for the thief. “I’m sorry, Mister Minagi, but His Highness is extremely busy right now and cannot attend to unnecessary matters at the moment.”

Tsuzuru blinked his turquoise eyes. “His Highness told me I can come visit at any time, regardless if he’s busy or not!” He argued, starting to get frustrated. “Can’t I just wait for him in his quarters?”

The guard shook his head. “Unfortunately, this is a serious matter, and by His Highness’ orders, I cannot let you in even if you two made an agreement.” The brunette noticed a small frown forming on the lilac-haired guard’s lips. “I apologize on his behalf.”

The thief gritted his teeth, but removed his grip from the metal gate. “Alright,” he firmly said to the guard. “But can I at least hear the reason  _ why _ the sudden... issue?”

“...The king had recently passed away due to old age,” the guard’s voice seemed to be shaking, “so now His Highness is preparing for his coronation within the next few days. That’s why I really cannot let you in at the moment.”

Tsuzuru seemed conflicted, but he was left with no choice. Turning his back on the guard, he said, “Tell His Highness that I give my condolences… and that I wish him all the best as the soon-to-be-king.”

Just like that, Tsuzuru left the town, albeit reluctantly and with mixed emotions, and returned to the hideout empty handed. No one was home yet, since half of the day had just passed. “Might as well just hold the fort, huh…”

A few hours passed while waiting for the rest of the thieves to arrive back to the hideout. Sakuya was the first one to come home, and noticed that Tsuzuru was already there waiting. “Tsuzuru-san?” The leader called out. “You returned here early. What happened?”

“No loot from me today, Sakuya,” he answered briefly with a sigh. 

Sakuya nodded his head. “It’s alright, Tsuzuru-san, don’t worry too much about it!” He gave the brunette a smile. “I’m not mad at all, really. So don't beat yourself up because of this.”

Tsuzuru looked up at the leader and returned a smile, albeit a pained one. “Thank you, Sakuya.”

After another hour or two waiting, the rest of the family was home now. Masumi, Citron, and Itaru were all looking at the brunette thief, who was nothing but upset ever since they all came home.

“Why is Tsuzuru suddenly down in the bumps?” Citron asked the other three.

“It’s ‘dumps’,” Itaru corrected. “But, yeah, why is he so down for?”

Tsuzuru looked up from the ground, only to see four pairs of eyes staring at him. With a sigh and his hand rubbing the back of his neck, he told them, “I suppose it’s finally time I told you guys.”

“Do you remember the first night I’ve been getting the ‘rich people food’ I brought?” He received four nods. “Truth be told, on that day, I was actually caught…” Turquoise eyes looked down toward the ground. “...by the prince…”

“The prince?!” They all collectively repeated, surprising Tsuzuru with the sudden (perhaps also violent) reaction.

Itaru let out a whistle. “Masumi was right when he said that it sounded suspicious~”

“Imagine being let off the hook, unscathed even, after being apprehended,” The raven haired boy remarked. “By a prince, even.”

Sakuya looked at Tsuzuru, whose face became flushed out of embarrassment. “What was he like, Tsuzuru-san?”

“He is one of the weirdest princes probably to ever exist,” he replied in the most straightforward way possible. “Which prince would take me to his quarters instead of the dungeons and would make a promise with me to visit the castle for food so that I wouldn’t steal from the townspeople anymore?” Tsuzuru then had a smile on his face. “I kept my end of the promise anyway, I wouldn’t want to be beheaded just yet. And he kept his end of the promise as well, which explains the food we’re getting.”

“It was really delicious.” Citron grinned. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the food from there while it lasted.” The smile on the brunette’s face had disappeared. “I don’t think that we’re gonna get those kinds of food again anymore… now that he’s gonna be crowned king soon, anyway…”

Sakuya knew where this was going and decided to stop him there. “I think that’s enough for now, Tsuzuru-san. Thank you for sharing with us the truth, though.”

Masumi hummed from beside them. “But why didn’t you stop complying to your end of the agreement? We’re literally thieves,  _ you’re a thief _ , so why?”

A nervous laugh escaped Tsuzuru’s lips. “I guess you could say I got kind of attached…”

An eyebrow was raised. “In a friendly way or—”

“...Romantically.”

Masumi stood up and moved to a different part of the circle. “Forget I asked.”

“So what are you gonna do now, Mister ‘I’m In Love With The Soon-to-be-King’?” Itaru asked in a teasing way. “Surely, you want to have closure with this in some way, right?”

“I guess, but…” Tsuzuru put a fist under his chin as if he were thinking. “I’ve got nothing in mind.”

“What if we steal the gown~?” Citron suggested oh-so-casually, most likely having said another wrong word. “Tsuzuru did say that he’s the soon-to-be-king, but that doesn’t mean that—”

“—he’s already crowned king,” Sakuya finished for the long haired male.

“I mean, yeah. The coronation will take place in a few days’ time.” Tsuzuru paused, blinking his eyes as his brain rewinded at Citron’s suggestion. “...You mean we’re gonna steal His Highness’ crown on coronation day!?”

“Took him a while,” Masumi remarked bluntly. 

The brunette’s eyebrows furrowed, thinking about it really carefully. “I don’t know, guys. I made a promise to him and that’s not to steal anything anymore.”

“We understand that you made a promise, Tsuzuru-san,” Sakuya reassured beside him, “but that doesn’t mean that the one who steals the crown  _ has to be  _ you.”

Tsuzuru looked up from the ground to see Sakuya, Citron, Itaru, and even Masumi were looking at their fellow thief and family member with a gentle smile. He returned the smile and stood up from the rock that he previously sat on.

Sakuya looked at everyone in the eyes. “Alright, everyone. We have a crown to steal. Are you in?” 

“Hehe, time to steal something more than just food~” Citron said cheerfully.

“This is gonna be one royal heist,” Itaru remarked.

“Might as well help out,” Masumi monotonously mumbled.

Tsuzuru grinned at them. “Let’s do this.”

Sakuya nodded his head. “Here’s what we’ll do on coronation day…”

* * *

Kazunari Miyoshi’s coronation day finally came upon the kingdom. The middle class townsfolk were all gathered at the grand hall where the ceremony will take place, and a few hours prior to the ceremony, Tsuzuru had led the group to infiltrate the castle grounds. 

“I only got a glimpse of it in one of my visits,” said Tsuzuru when they were planning that night, “but I saw a wooden treasure chest in a room that was guarded carefully by two guards who take shifts every few hours. One of them has the key to unlock that chest, and the key gets passed on to the next guards on the shift.

The gang sneakily and quietly knocked out each guard, careful not to cause a commotion. Itaru and Citron stole the two of the guard’s equipment and wore them as a disguise. Sakuya, Masumi and Tsuzuru went behind the two older thieves in disguise and hid somewhere near the room.

The guards that were on duty outside the room realized that it was indeed time to shift. One of them gave a set of keys to Citron before they left their post. Once the coast was clear and that there wasn’t anyone going down the hallway, Sakuya and Masumi went on ahead and grabbed the keys from Citron.

Itaru’s eyes constantly shifted from the hallway to the duo who were fiddling with the keys. “Hurry, guys, we don’t have much time,” he said in a concerned tone. 

Finally, they found the right key and managed to unlock the door. In front of them was the wooden chest on top of a podium. Sakuya had found the key while they were searching for the door key, and unlocked the treasure chest. It opened, and inside was a white consort crown with gold designs and a white cross on top.

It was Tsuzuru’s turn now in the heist. As soon as Masumi placed the crown in the bag, he went and attached an envelope at the inside cover of the chest and closed it.

Tsuzuru locked the door and gave the keys to Itaru. “Catch up to us at the rendezvous after the shift,” the brunette told the both of them. The two ‘guards’ nodded and Tsuzuru escaped the castle alongside Sakuya and Masumi.

The three sat on a rooftop with a view of the castle from a distance. Tsuzuru glanced at the bag where the crown is kept inside which was held by Sakuya. “Hey, Sakuya,” he spoke up, “mind if I borrow the crown real quick?”

Sakuya gave the bag, careful not to let it fall off the roof. “It’s all yours, Tsuzuru-san!”

The brunette thief gave the leader a quick smile before he opened the bag and saw the crown inside. He took out the crown for a brief moment and inspected the way it was designed. 

“The way it’s designed…” He mumbled to himself before he put it back inside the bag. “It looked like it matched the outfit he wore on the day we met.”

Sakuya and Masumi both glanced at Tsuzuru, then glanced at one another, before deciding to let it be and wait for Itaru and Citron to return.

It was finally the coronation hour. Itaru and Citron managed to reach the rendezvous safely, and the gang watches the events unfold from a distance. It was a long wait until it was the moment that they were waiting for.

“We are all gathered here today on this fine morning as we witness the coronation of Prince Kazunari Miyoshi,” the officiant announced as he turned to the wooden chest on the table. After the soon-to-be-king stated all those vows and what not, the officiant continued on with the ceremonial matters. “I hereby declare that Kazunari Miyoshi…” The officiant opened the chest. “...will now be crowned…” He saw the contents of the chest. “...king?”

The officiant turned to face all the attendees in front of them with a petrified look. “The crown… is gone.”

A collective gasp was heard from them, followed by whispers and murmurs. Kazunari, who was just surprised about this, informed Misumi and the other guards to let the people go home. After the order was acknowledged, he turned to face the people and bowed. “I thank each and every one for attending my coronation today. Please rest assured that we will track down whoever stole the crown and press charges on them. I humbly apologize for the inconvenience.”

Once all the attendees were dismissed, the king with a missing crown looked at the wooden chest. He carefully inspected it and noticed that there was a note attached to the inside of the cover. Carefully, he removed the note from the chest and closed it.

Misumi arrived beside Kazunari who was busy inspecting the note. “What’s that, Your Highness?”

Kazunari started walking off, headed to his quarters with the guard in tow. “I found this inside the chest just now. It could possibly lead to whoever stole it.”

The two arrived inside the now king’s quarters. Kazunari aimlessly put his coat on the bed and hurriedly opened the note. “Well, should we assemble a search party for it…” Misumi paused and carefully looked around. “...Kazu?”

The blonde silently read over the note with his eyes. Read it for a second, and even a third time. He calmly placed the piece of paper on his desk and shook his head. “No, don’t assemble a search party.” Kazunari turned to face his personal guard. “We’re going to search for it ourselves.”

“But Kazuー”

“You’re dismissed now, Sumi.” Kazunari had a small smile on his face. “It’s been a long day. We’ll go search for it in the next 24 hours.”

Unable to say anything against the king’s orders, Misumi simply bowed. “As you wish, Your Highness,” he said before taking his leave.

Now that he was left alone, Kazunari looked outside the window and enjoyed the view while deep in thought. 

_ I wish I could use my magic to help with finding the crown… _ The blonde let out a heavy sigh.  _ It’s a shame that I’m only stuck with elemental magic. Oh well~  _

_ Now then… Why did Tsuzurun steal the crown? _

* * *

The next day, Misumi and Kazunari left the town on their own. The king had asked his younger sister to be the temporary ruler of the kingdom until he returned. The young heiress, albeit hesitant, took over the responsibility and agreed to it. 

“Let me just…” Kazunari cast a spell that would let his younger sister have his appearance during the day, and it would go back to normal during the night. It weakened him temporarily, but at least the spell was a success.

“You better treat me with something when you come back, Kazu-nii~” His sister giggled deviously.

After making sure that the citizens don’t know about the disappearance of the king, along with the reassurance that everything will go back to normal after the events that happened, the king and his guard fled.

“The place that we are asked to go is a few towns away,” Kazunari told Misumi. “But since we don’t have a carriage with us, we’re gonna take a week or two, methinks~”

“Did the note even indicate  _ who _ stole it, Kazu?”

“Yep~ It was Tsuzurun and his family.” The king scratched the back of his head. “Well, more like family figures, but yeah~”

Misumi blinked his eyes. “You mean that thief who often visited you because you two made a promise?” He looked down at the ground. “But… why steal the crown?” Kazunari simply shrugged his shoulders, and the rest of the walk was silent. 

Night had fallen by the time they arrived in the next town. Most of the residents were already inside their respective homes. It was even lights out for some of the houses in town.

“Let’s look for a place to sleep,” said Kazunari. 

The two wandered in the empty streets of the town, looking for somewhere to sleep. Fortunately, there was a signage a few meters away from where they were that said ‘Sumeragi Lodges’ and the lights weren’t out yet. The two immediately rushed there but just before Kazunari could knock, Misumi grabbed his wrist.

“Wait, Kazu, don’t be so careless,” the lilac haired guard reminded the blonde king. “People don’t know that you left your throne. If they recognize you, it could cause a commotion.” 

Kazunari stepped back and nodded, putting on the hood of his cloak. “Alrighty then.”

Misumi knocked on the door. “Excuse me, we’re looking for a place to stay for the night!” 

The door was opened but an orange haired male with purple eyes. He scanned around the area, making the Kazunari and Misumi confused. “Just the two of you?” Misumi nodded his head and the wooden door was opened wider for them to enter. “Alright, come in.”

Kazunari and Misumi became mesmerized with the interior as they entered. It looked like a first-class lodge just looking at the silver and gold decorations of the lobby area. 

“This place is even fancier than the castle…” The king whispered, getting a tad ashamed as he remembered the interior of the castle.

“We got clients?” The two heard someone with a stern tone nearby say. 

“I wonder what they’re like, Yuki-kun…” said another voice, albeit much softer than the first.

The guard went to the front desk where the oranged haired male was already at. “This place is kinda fancy for a lodge,” Misumi remarked in a genuine tone. “You work here, sir…” He squinted at the name tag. “Tenma?”

“Not just work here, I own the place!” Tenma said with a grin.

“Yeah, you do own it, but not everyone even comes here because your rates are too damn high, you hack!” The stern voice said again. Kazunari and Misumi looked at the direction of the voice and saw that two boys, one green haired and the other pink, entered the lobby. “You place all the funds on the decorations with your hopes up that the customers would go here!”

“Calm down, Yuki-kun…” The pink haired male calmed down the green haired male, who the royal duo assumed is Yuki. “There are clients here.”

“Please stop him, Muku…” Tenma gave the keys to Misumi before retorting, “I’m trying my best here, y’know!”

Kazunari simply sighed and removed his hood, much to Misumi’s disappointment. “Alright, both of you, please quit it with the bickering!”

The pink haired boy’s eyes widened as he saw that he was in the presence of a royal. “Y-Your Highness!” He said, kneeling down before him. Tenma and Yuki realized the same and followed after the other boy.

“Please, no need for the formalities~” Kazunari scratched the back of his head. “I know that running a business can be tiring, but I think that you guys should just take a break, y’know~?”

Muku looked up at the king. “What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”

“Y’know, take a break from running the business for a while~” The king repeated casually. “Actually, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of it but the crown was stolen on my coronation day. Sumi and I are doing a search for it, but maybe, you three can join us on our journey~!”

Tenma, Yuki, and Muku looked at each other with mixed emotions. Meanwhile, Misumi nudged Kazunari’s arm with his elbow. “Your Highness, what are you thinking?!”

“Calm down, Sumi,” the king tried to reassure him. “A little company won’t hurt~”

Tenma stood up from kneeling. “We’d love to join you in the search, Your Highness.”

The blonde cheerfully clapped his hands. “Yay~ Meet you guys here the next morning~! I’ll brief you guys with the itinerary tomorrow!”

* * *

The journey to the place the gang was asked to go was pretty much uneventful, no monsters were encountered on their way. Kazunari and the others were glad that there weren’t (even though he and Misumi could fight them, should there be any monsters), and they safely went through the dangerous forest. It only took a day or two for the group to reach the town that was mentioned in the note.

Once they stepped into town, the group looked around and observed their surroundings.  _ The town was very much similar to the one back at home, _ Kazunari told himself, opening the note again.  _ There also seems to be a festival going on right now, no wonder there’s a lot of people coming and going. _

The blonde male reread the contents of the note. “ _ ‘The place where we will be waiting isn’t that far from the other end of town,’ _ ” he repeated out loud for the others to hear. “ _ ‘Just follow the road, and it will take you to a breathtaking scenery. We will be waiting there.’ _ ” Kazunari checked the note again for any extra information. At the bottom of the paper, it was stated. “ _ ‘P.S. Enjoy the festival. Be there at the rendezvous by sunset.’ _ ” 

“Is that all?” Yuki asked with a raised brow. 

The wandering king answered with a nod. “That’s pretty much it~”

“So, what’s the plan, Your Highness?” Muku asked the blonde. “Should we really just enjoy ourselves for a while before we meet up with them?” His lilac eyes glanced at the townsfolk enjoying the festival a few meters ahead of them. “Going there sounds nice right now, but I’m sure you would prioritize having your crown back, Your Highness.”

Tenma placed a hand on Kazunari’s shoulder. “We’re here to help you, Your Highness. Just ask us, and we’d be happy to help you.”

Yuki rolled his eyes. “As if you ever did anything to help, you hack.”

“What did you just say?!”

Kazunari paid no attention at all to the bickering duo right in front of him. He was unsure whether or not to say what he had in mind to retrieve the crown back. Just when he was about to speak, another idea came into mind. One that might be risky, but it seemed to be worth a shot.

_ Ah… I’m sorry… _

“Alright, alright~” Kazunari spoke up, catching the attention of the group. “Let’s go and enjoy the festival~!”

Tenma, Muku, and Yuki gave each other a quick glance before going on ahead to the festival. Meanwhile, Misumi and Kazunari stayed behind for a little while.

“Are you sure about this, Kazu?” The guard asked, looking at the king. “What if the festival was a trick to distract us while they flee with the crown?”

The blonde king shook his head. “I don’t think that would be the case, Sumi. You just gotta loosen up a bit, y’know~?” Kazunari started walking ahead of Misumi. “Gotta enjoy this before showtime~”

And the gang did enjoy their time in the festival. They enjoyed all the delicious food that they could afford (“Wait, don’t we have this at the castle?” Kazunari commented as he ate a roasted turkey leg), and they played parlor games (Yuki managed to pin the tail on the horse even though Muku had made him dizzy).

By the time it was almost sunset, Misumi looked around the crowd, trying not to get separated from the group. His eyes scanned the crowd, only to find that the king was missing. His arm tugged the sleeve of Muku’s shirt. “Muku, have you seen where His Highness went?”

Tenma and Yuki, who heard it as well, approached the two. The former decided to answer, “We haven’t seen him around, since we got separated after the parade.”

Yuki scanned the area for any sign of the king, only for it to be in vain. “Could it be that he left us all here in town so that he would go on alone?”

“E-Eh!?” Muku yelped in surprise. “So he only said to enjoy the festival only to leave us behind?!”

Misumi gritted his teeth. “Stay in one place,” he ordered the other three. “I’ll go after the king.” Before the three of them could argue, he ran off quickly in order to catch up to the king.

* * *

Kazunari made it to where he was asked to retrieve his crown. It was nothing fancy, given that the end of the road was a cliff, but Tsuzuru was right when he said that it was a breathtaking scenery, especially with the view of the rest of the kingdom below.

“Woah…” was all the king could utter, given he was in awe with the view.

“Do you like the view, Your Highness?”

The king turned around when he heard that familiar voice ask him. Behind him was that familiar brunette thief with the crown in his hand. “I do, yes,” he replied with a smile on his face. He turned around back to face the beautiful sunset view. “I remember you mentioned it one time after a stealing job. You would stay here and enjoy the view until it was time for you to return.”

Silence soon followed, but it wasn’t the awkward kind of silence. Both of them were enjoying the view, after all. Well, view  _ and _ each other’s company. Just like the days prior to the late king.

“Hey, Tsuzurun, what made you decide to steal the crown?” Kazunari asked Tsuzuru, breaking the silence between them. “I know I told you that I don’t want to be king, but it really can’t be helped, y’know~”

“I didn’t steal it because I wanted to stop you from being crowned king,” the thief answered, looking down at the headpiece in his hands. “I stole it for a different reason.”

The king faced the other with a raised eyebrow. “Which is?”

The brunette faced the blonde. His hands, albeit shaky, placed the crown on top of the latter’s head as if he was the one crowning Kazunari king. “Your Highness,” Tsuzuru spoke in a voice that only the both of them would hear, “I seem to have grown attached to you.”

Kazunari became flustered, his face became red and it looked like he was mixed with the sunset view. “W-Wait, Tsuzurun—”

“I went all this way to steal the crown, knowing full well that I’d be breaking my promise to you, Your Highness. I did this just so that I’ll be able to let my feelings out for you, I simply just wanted closure, not expecting an answer from you at all…” Tsuzuru looked at the scenery below the cliff to avert his gaze from Kazunari. “Heck, it feels wrong… to catch feelings for a royal like you when I know I’m just a mere thief, not to mention that you’re the king now.”

“I made a promise to you on that day, and we kept both ends of the promise: I would visit the castle for the food, and you would provide it to keep me from stealing from the people. Honestly, at first I thought that it sounds… absurd, crazy, that you would stop me from the one thing that keeps me and the family I have alive. Yet I eventually trusted you, got closer to you even, and…” Tsuzuru looked back at Kazunari, his turquoise eyes were slowly spilling tears down his face. “...I eventually fell for you.”

“I used the promise,  _ our _ promise, just so that I could visit you on duty days. I simply wanted to be with you, by your side, and talk until it was time for me to go. It was wrong of me to use a promise as an excuse, but thenー”

Tsuzuru was cut off from speaking. He felt his cheeks being cupped with warm hands and soft lips were pressed against his own. It took the brunette thief a while to register that blonde king was kissing him. Before Tsuzuru even got the chance to kiss him back, Kazunari pulled away from the kiss.

“It’s not fair that you get to do all the talking, Tsuzurun.” The king chuckled and smiled at the thief. “I lost the words I was supposed to say in return after listening to you, honestly. But…” Kazunari cupped Tsuzuru’s cheeks with his hands again. “All I can really say is that… I like you too, Tsuzurun.”

The brunette returned the smile, more tears flowing down from his eyes after hearing the blonde’s answer. The blonde wiped away the tears with his thumbs, wrapping his arms around the other. There was nothing but silence afterwards, and that was okay. They had each other, and that was all that mattered to them right now.

It was all peaceful and silent until Tsuzuru felt something sharp pierce through his body. His turquoise eyes glanced at Kazunari, who felt the same pain as him. When the sharp object was retracted, they were down on the grass and rolled until they were at the edge of the cliff.

“Y...Your Highness…” Tsuzuru weakly uttered, trying to see if Kazunari was still alive. “A-Are you…”

“W-Who… did this…” Kazunari spoke just as weakly, unable to look up after losing a lot of blood. “I’ll… never forgive them…”

Footsteps approached the two of them. Tsuzuru’s vision was getting blurrier as he started losing consciousness, except all he could see was someone with lilac hair and a blood-stained sword in his hand. The person held the sword with both hands and was ready to deal the final damage by piercing the sword downwards.

Just before the sword inflicted further damage, the brunette wrapped his arms around the blonde with the little strength he had left and rolled themselves off the cliff. Kazunari knew that they were falling down from such height despite that he, too, was slowly losing consciousness.

“Hey… Tsuzurun…”

“Hmm…”

Kazunari gave Tsuzuru a weak smile, and will most likely be the last smile he’ll ever do given that the both of them were in their last moments. “Till death do us part…?”

There was no response from the thief. The king hoped that he didn’t go on ahead just before they hit the ground, until he heard that familiar yet weak voice again for the last time.

“...Till death do us part, Miyoshi-san.”

* * *

“Happy birthday, Miyoshi-san~” 

Tsuzuru greeted as he entered room 202. In his hands was a strawberry and chocolate cake with a candle on top. 

Kazunari was seated in front of his desk. He looked up and saw his boyfriend at the door. “Uwaah~! Thanks, Tsuzurun~!!”

The brunette placed down the cake on his desk. “C’mon, take a break from art projects for a little while, Miyoshi-san. Otherwise, I’m eating it all~”

The blonde put down his glasses and pencil with a playful pout on his face. “Fine, fine~” He said as he took the cake and fork. “Gotta enjoy my day, after all~”

Tsuzuru noticed that there was a crown on Kazunari’s loft bed. He reached up for it, and placed it on top of the artist’s head. “Y’know, a crown like this suits you very well...” the writer said with a grin on his face.

“Your Highness.”

**Author's Note:**

> Proofread by: [Miyuki](https://twitter.com/aozorakokuyo)
> 
> HI HI!! if you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading this! this is where all my braincells went for tsuzukazu week so kudos/comments i get for this fic are truly appreciated T T 
> 
> this au existed since last year after kazu's Mankai Glitter card came out and i really looked for the right opportunity and time to write this and make it into a reality!!
> 
> Catch me in [@hibiscusmemoirs](https://twitter.com/hibiscusmemoirs) where I don't shut up about tzkz /hj :D


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